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A fully-hosted musical charter on Myanmar’s Irrawaddy River – February, 2014.<\/p>\n
As\u00a0you\u00a0travel along the river\u00a0from Mandalay to Rangoon, you may recall the famous Kipling poem, ” Mandalay” which\u00a0tells of\u00a0a British soldier’s longing to be once again on an old paddle steamer chunking along the ‘road’ (river) to Mandalay. Set in the era of British\u00a0Colonisation of Burma, the\u00a0poem tantalises with\u00a0exotic\u00a0images of “the wind in palm trees”, “flying fishes playing in the river”, “beautiful Burmese girls” and a “dawn which ‘comes up like thunder’ in the East”.<\/p>\n
A special cruise charter has been inspired by the poem, or more accurately,\u00a0the famous\u00a0song setting of Kipling’s words as ‘The Road to Mandalay’. It’s\u00a0a case of a song inspiring an adventure! Ever since\u00a0viewing\u00a0a TV documentary about the Irrawaddy flotilla and having light shed on a song he had performed often,\u00a0baritone Stewart Cameron, co-founder of highly regarded Opera, Song and Musical travelcompany,OPERATIF!\u00a0determined to one day take the trip himself. <\/p>\n
Developments in\u00a0Burma in\u00a0recent years have made this journey possible,\u00a0with a number of luxury, small ships starting to cruise this previously closed, beautiful region. <\/p>\n
Modelled in style on the original Scottish-built steamers referred to in “Mandalay”, these new ships are far more luxurious than their predecessors, with air-conditioned cabins appointed with teak and brass opening onto promenade decks, quiet engines replacing steam and paddles, elegant\u00a0dining and bar areas\u00a0and a wonderful array of meals prepared using the best of local ingredients. Unselfishly, Stewart is inviting\u00a0a small group\u00a0to share his journey which will appeal to both history and music lovers \u00a0and yes, you will definitely hear a stirring rendition of ‘The Road to Mandalay.’\u00a0In fact there will be\u00a0several performances of classical music, song and opera during the cruise featuring Cameron, his soprano wife, Jennifer Parish and colleagues violinist Spiros Rantos and pianist Brachi Tilles. There will also be local cultural performances on board and daily excursions to temples, schools, villages, potteries and more. <\/p>\n
In recent times, Parish & Cameron have diversified from purely producing performances to creating their own very successful brand of\u00a0‘Music Lovers Tours.’\u00a0This\u00a0new\u00a0musical Burma River Cruise\u00a0has just been added to the suite of current, diverse offerings\u00a0in Europe and the Pacific. Places on the\u00a0boutique cruise are limited, with just 24 cabins available, all of the same high standard, with\u00a0upper and middle deck cabins to choose from.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The cruise departs Mandalay on 1st\u00a0February 2014 on the ship RV Tonle. This\u00a0relatively new\u00a0vessel\u00a0has a shallow draft making it easy to traverse shallow waters\u00a0and gain access far up river. With three decks, including a covered observation deck\u00a0on top, there is plenty of opportunity to\u00a0drink in the stunning scenery\u00a0from many vantage points.\u00a0 <\/p>\n
Parish and Cameron’s tours are rapidly gaining a reputation for high standards of organisation and bringing ‘lovers of classical music’ together with tours that offer something unique. A similar venture, their\u00a0Opera in Paradise festival\u00a0held in various South Pacific destinations,\u00a0in its 9th\u00a0year, proves a great synergy between music and travel. <\/p>\n
For those who adore both, a\u00a0musical\u00a0cruise\u00a0on the Irrawaddy in Myanmar is sent from heaven. \u00a0 <\/p>\n